Apparatus for hooking and possibly baiting of a fishing line

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for hooking and possibly baiting of a fishing line (1) which is provided with snoods (2) arranged in spaced relationship along the length of the line and each provided with a head (3). The apparatus is provided with a rotatable table which mounts a hook store (13), possibly a bait store (14) and a slide member (15) which, under rotation of the table performs a rectilinear radial movement for the purpose of bringing a fishing hook (17) from the hook store (13) into engagement with a snood head, possibly through a bait (18) from the bait store (14).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In long-line fishing a line is used which is provided with a greatnumber of hooks, each connected to the line through a snood. In use,each hook is to be provided with a bait, and when the line is not inuse, care must be taken that the line with its snoods are to thegreatest possible extent prevented from being tangled or knotted.Consequently, it has been suggested to store the line without mountedhooks, the connection between each hook and its snood and the baiting ofthe individual hooks being effected during the setting of the line, thehooks being again disconnected from their snoods during the hauling inof the line.

As mentioned, the number of hooks associated with a single line is verygreat. Consequently, it is of the greatest importance to reduce the timeand work involved in the individual hooking and baiting.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus which primarily is adaptedfor the hooking of a fishing line which is provided with snoods situatedat a distance from each other along the length of the line, each snoodbeing provided with a head which is adapted to receive and releasablyhold the neck of a fishing hook, and which may also be provided withmeans for the baiting of the individual fishing hooks.

The inventive the apparatus that it comprises a turnable table mountingat least one combination of devices in radial arrangement relatively tothe rotation axis of the table, each such combination comprising atleast one hook store, means adapted to transitorily receive a snoodhead, and a slide number adapted to be moved radially under the controlof an eccentrical guide means, thereby moving a fishing hook leg fromthe hook store into a snood head possibly also baiting is effectedwithout any necessity of manual activity. It is possible to provide theapparatus with a plurality of device combinations, so that it bepossible during one complete rotation of the disc to perform a pluralityof operations.

Further features of the apparatus according to the invention will appearfrom the following description, with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, which illustrate schematically how an apparatus according tothe invention may be designed. It is to be noted that the drawings showthe arrangement of one set of devices with four "stations" for theperformance of the various operations as mentioned; however, it isobvious that the number of sets may be adjusted according to conditions,and possibly be made far more numerous, such as equal to 10 or 12. Thedrawings illustrate an apparatus adapted also for baiting.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view as seen at right angles to the lineI--I in FIG. 2, through such part of the apparatus in which the snoodsand their heads are aligned.

FIG. 1a is a sectional view of the apparatus as seen along line X--X inFIG. 1.

FIG. 2 shows a view of the apparatus located above line II--II in FIG. 1as seen from above.

FIG. 3 is a view of part of the apparatus as seen in the direction ofthe arrow III in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view as seen in the direction of the arrow IV in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view as seen in the direction of the arrow V in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a plan view corresponding to that of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings is adapted forhooking and baiting of a line 1 with snoods 2, each snood being providedwith a head 3 adapted to receive the neck of a fishing hook. The line 1with its snoods 2 and snood heads 3 is assumed to be stored in a tub 4.

The apparatus comprises a guide passage which is provided with a drivenline advancing wheel 6 and is provided with a longitudinally extendingslot 7, so that the snood heads are passed along the passage 5 while thesnoods protrude through the slot 7. The passage 5 extends obliquely in aconical surface having its axis extending through the center of thewheel 6, so that the individual snoods which protrude through the slot 7will be in spaced arrangement in the noted conical surface.

From the wheel 6, the line 1 runs downwardly and is caught by anadvancing wheel 8, which may be a laminated brush or, preferably, arubber wheel provided with a spring-loaded board for the purpose ofenhancing the frictional engagement between the line 1 and the wheel 8.Through the pull on the line 1 by the wheel 8, the snoods which protrudethrough the passage slot 7 are tightened, thereby running over a curvedcylindrical surface 9 in the form of loops 10.

At its lower end the passage 5 meets a member 11 which is secured to arotatable table 12 and is adapted to fixedly hold a snood head 3 duringthe rotation of the table 12. Further, the table 12 carries a hook store13 and a bait store 14, as well as a slide member 15 which is adapted toslide radially on the table 12 under the control of a circular guide 16,which is eccentrically mounted relative to the axis of the table 12. Theslide member 15 is adapted to pass under the hook store 13 and, duringits movement radially outwardly carry along a hook 17 from the store 13and then pass the hook neck through the lower part of the bait in thestore 14. Further a knife 19 is stationarily mounted in the apparatus,which knife cuts off a part of the bait 18 through which part the hookneck is passed.

The position of the bait store 14 may be so adjusted that the hook neck17 enters the bait 18 in different positions along the circumference ofthe table 12, in order thereby to achieve different positionings of thebait on the hook neck see FIG. 6.

FIG. 2 shows the devices 11 to 18 in four positions A, B, C and D, withthe slide member 15 in the different radial positions which it mayoccupy during the rotation of the table 12. In order to increase thestep of the operations, more sets of devices may be mounted, each ofwhich performs its series of operations during one revolution of thetable. The distance between the individual snoods distributed along thecurved wall, see FIG. 3, then corresponds to the distance between thedevice sets along the circumference of the table 12. When more sets ofdevices are used, the members 11 will follow each other more or lessclosely and may form a ring.

In the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings the apparatusaccording to the invention operates in the following manner:

The line 1 is drawn from the bin 4 over the wheel 6 by means of thewheel 8, and the snood heads 3 are drawn downwardly into the passage 5with the snoods 2 protruding through the slot 7. Due to the obliqueposition of the passage 5, see FIGS. 1 and 3, the snoods 2 protrudethrough the slot 7 in spaced relationship and in this position they arekept taut over the curved wall 9 by means of the wheel 8.

At the lower end of the passage 5 the snood head is caught by a catchmember 11 mounted in the edge of the rotatable table 12 and in radialalignment with the hook store 13, the bait store 14 and the slide member15. The table 12 is now in a position with the devices located inposition A in

FIG. 2 with the end of the slide member close to the inner end of thehook store 13. Further rotation of the table 12 will cause the slidemember 15 to move radially outwardly under the control of the guide 16to a position, in which a hook 17 is pushed outwardly until the end ofthe hook neck engages the bait 18 in the store 14, see position B inFIG. 2. Under further rotation of the table 12, i.e., to position C inFIG. 2, the hook neck will have passed through the bait and will havearrived at the inlet to the snood head 3. At the same time, the deviceswill have passed a stationary knife 19 which cuts the bait 18 at asuitable, adjustable height above the table 12. As the table rotates andmoves the devices from position C to position D in FIG. 2, the slidemember 15 will to move radially inwardly, to thereby liberate theoutlets from the stores 13 and 14, so that all parts are again ready foraction as shown in position A in FIG. 2, and the snood head 3 with thebait and mounted hook 17 are withdrawn by a pull in the line 1 by meansof a pull wheel 20, as shown in of FIG. 2.

From the wheel 20 the line 1, fully hooked and baited, is passed overthe ship's rail.

I claim:
 1. In an apparatus for hooking a fishing line which is providedwith snoods situated at a distance from each other along the length ofthe line, each snood being provided with a head which is adapted toreceive and releasably hold the neck of a fishing hook, a turnable tablemounting at least one combination of devices in radial arrangementrelatively to the rotation access of the table, each such combinationcomprising at least one hook store, means adapted to transitorilyreceive a snood head, and a slide member adapted to be moved radiallyunder the control of an eccentrical guide means, thereby moving afishing hook leg from the hook store into a snood head.
 2. An apparatusas claimed in claim 1, wherein each radial combination of devices alsocomprises a bait store situated adjacent to the slide member in the pathof the hook when passing from the hook store to the snood head receivingmeans.